“What color panties are you wearing?” he asked, feeling brazen as he hid behind the protective shield of the internet.

Realizing how inappropriate it was to be asked a question like this by a man married to someone else, she knew she had two choices. First, she could take the high and classy road and not reply to such an out-of-line question. Second, she could send back a not-so-classy reply that would put him in his place and maybe cause him to suffer a little bit. She chose the second choice.

“Oh, you poor man,” she typed in reply, “no one wears panties anymore.”

Another man wrote, “Hi. You are so gorgeous. Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

Having seen it before and knowing what was coming, the woman chose not to take the high road and responded, “Not if it involves your boner in any way.”

Another woman had four pictures posted to her online profile, yet a man felt the need to ask, “Can you send me some more pictures? Maybe something in a swimsuit?”

Again, this woman could have chosen to take the high road but, instead, she chose Option Number 2 and sent him swimsuit pictures. Too bad they weren’t of women. Oh, and too bad they didn’t have swimsuits on.

Another man with an obvious foot fetish mentioned a woman’s pretty little feet, telling her he’d like to massage them and give her a pedicure.

Not for a moment considering the high road, she responded, “I could have hooves for all you know!”

Thanks to the protective shield of the internet, many men behave in a way that they never would if face to face. They seem to have lost their manners and respect for women and suddenly think it’s appropriate to treat many of us like we work for 1-800-FUNN. There is no effort to get to know our personalities, but instead they thrive off of the pictures posted on hundreds of web sites by millions of women. Even though they are dating web sites, many of the men seem to treat them like sex web sites. They want pictures, they want dirty talk, and they want instant gratification. They aren’t in it for the long haul, they’re in it for the phone call that gets them from Point A to Point B, and then they’re off to meet up with their buddies.

Sadly, it’s often the insecure women who fall into their traps. Thinking her headshot and full-body pics aren’t enough for him to determine if he wants to meet her, she sends the bikini photo. Thinking a relationship can’t be built by messaging safely through the web site, she gives him her number, unwittingly allowing him to find where she lives, show up there, and place her in danger. Not understanding what he’s doing when he asks, “What are you wearing?” She naively answers. These are the women who are on their way to becoming the star of a Lifetime movie if they aren’t careful.

Things change, and people evolve. We will never go back to the Victorian days of courting, and with it maybe hand-holding, long conversations, and respect are on their way out, too. So what will our society become? Where will the limits be drawn, and who will be the ones to draw them? Will it be the people who take the high road or the people who seek to put inappropriate questioners in their place?

A friend had a guy inappropriately ask how often she did, ahem, “laundry.” Most of us would take the high road and tell him it was none of his business. She told him, “Every chance I get,” and then she blocked him. Suffer, you inappropriate questioner. Suffer.

Be safe and consider the road you choose to take. Happy dating!

The Tunnels is now available in both Kindle format and hard copy! Coming soon….. Devil’s Elbow.